Lament of Lady of Rohan
by Wrongaboutme
Summary: When the Elves in Ithilien are asked about the tragedy of Éowyn, Queen of Gondor, they are silent in grief, and begin to sing the Lament of Lady of Rohan.


Same as every day in the past year, Éowyn wakes up to an empty bed. Her husband is long gone for councils, perhaps did not lay next to her at all. At the beginning she felt lonely from his absence, but she is used to it now for her heart has been cold as winter.

As a dutiful wife to the King Elessar, mornings she manages the household, afternoons she spends in the Houses of Healing, nights she attends dinners and pleases the guests to gain favor for Aragorn's rule. Aragorn would hold her hand, kiss her gently, and invite her to dance like a happily married couple. Once the candle is extinguished, again she is alone in their chambers, waiting for Aragorn until sleep takes her.

Éowyn asks Aragorn if she can visit Edoras as Lothíriel is having her baby. He agrees immediately without second thought. She packs light and goes with two guards. Faramir expresses concern over her safety, but she says, "My life as Queen of Gondor is worth little." Without any farewell from Aragorn she is gone.

In Rohan everyone is surprised by her visit, yet no one dares to ask any question upon her glum face. She helps Lothíriel and the child and assists the household. Weeks turn into months. Four months she stays in Edoras and no letter comes from Aragorn. In the end, it is Faramir who urges her to return to Minas Tirith, reciting rumors in the city about her absence. Éomer must have received his letter also, for he persuades her that she cannot leave her city too long. She says nothing but prepares and leaves that night.

When she enters the city she is welcomed by the people. Éowyn dismounts to greet them, and she accepts when a family invites her to dinner. They warmly provide her stew and ale, a great honor to ever receive a noble guest in their humble house. She drinks and laughs with them, and realises the last time she truly feels happy was at her wedding. Back then she did not know better, thinking she could finally have him, an utter fool to believe Aragorn would love her as he does Arwen, the elf who sailed to Valinor with her kin. She downs cup after cup, trying to assuage the subtle pain in her chest.

At last Aragorn comes to find her. He sighs heavily at her drunken state and apologises to the family. For a moment she wants to push him away, however, she lets Aragorn escort her back to their chamber.

Messily she kisses him when he tries to undress her dirty clothes. Her fingers grip tightly on his collar. It is sloppy; Aragorn chuckles when she drags him down with her and they fall on the bed. "You are drunk." He peels her hands off him. She doesn't give up and locks him close with her legs, and she pleads lowly. "Please, Aragorn." _Please show me you care_. The words unsaid linger on her tongue. _Or pretend I am her._

He refuses still, but when he sees her teary eyes, he kisses her bitter mouth. She responds eagerly like she is thirsty of touches. She might not be Arwen, but she is fair and lovely as the day he saw her on the steps of Meduseld. They honor their oath as husband and wife and have not looked for comfort elsewhere, thus the night they spend in lust, satisfy their cravings of physical touches, and he treats her gently and be mindful of her needs. They find their release quickly, and Aragorn excuses himself that he needs to read before tomorrow's council, hastily tucks her in, and leaves. He is gentle but it is due to duty and guilt. She remains on bed with her loose breeches, thinking if she has made the wrong decision accepting Aragorn's proposal two years ago.

Her long absence spark rumors and gossips, since the Gondorians often think lowly of Rohirrim and many consider Éowyn unworthy of their King. They start to wonder if she can produce an heir, some already suggest to Aragorn of having consorts. Aragorn is furious at their offers for he respects Éowyn, and claims once again loudly his sworn loyalty to his queen, but his words are baseless in the ears of the audience, as they are aware of his history with the elf-princess from Rivendell.

The guests pretend none has happened when she accompanies Aragorn to a dinner. She talks and talks and she means none of it. Her mind is drifted to the land of horses, the vast plain where she is free. In the stone city she puts on a mask of a joyous wife and queen, inside there is no more passion, the fearless Shieldmaiden has been tamed by their mighty King, as said by the Gondorians.

When her monthly flow has not come for two months, Éowyn seeks the healer.

"You are pregnant, my queen." He congratulates.

She returns to their chambers in shocked silence, for she does not anticipate this. How can she bring a child into the world when the family is broken and loveless? Tears roll down her face as she puts a protective hand on her belly. Perhaps Aragorn will love their child. It is his flesh and blood after all.

A King carries no light responsibility and Aragorn can hardly make time for her. An hour she has been waiting at the table, food cold and her heart chill, and a servant comes to say that the King cannot attend the dinner as emergency arises. She smiles and dismisses the servant, and shoves the food into her mouth for the sake of her child.

Still, she tells him about her pregnancy before she begins to show. She does so out of respect, for it would be wrong if he hears it from others. One night she strides into his study and he looks up from the pile of papers with a raised eyebrow: what's wrong?

"I am with child." She says flatly.

For a moment he stares at her blankly, his eyes searching hers, and he grins. "How long?" He goes to her and cups her face.

"Ten weeks." Her voice trembles when he kisses her nose.

"Oh Éowyn," Aragorn embraces her, hands soothing her back tenderly. "Thank you, my queen."

At the news of her pregnancy Aragorn changes. He spends more time with her, they ride in the morning and he reads in the chambers. He holds her in their bed, hands on her bump, and smiles brightly at her. Éowyn feels loved again and indulges herself in Aragorn's attention. She glows, always smiling, and the patients in the Houses of Healing are comforted by her radiant presence. When they make the announcement to the people of Minas Tirith, his arms around her, she finally gets the happiness she deserves.

She is stupid to believe a child can change a man's heart.

One night she wakes from sleep and finds the spot next to her empty. As she cannot sleep without him holding her during the night, she goes to the garden to search for her love. He always goes there when he needs to think. Indeed she finds him there, staring at the moon and stars above the sky, laying on the grass, on his chest the pendant of Evenstar, humming sadly a tune she could not bear to listen. _The Song of Beren and Lúthien_. She runs away and ungracefully throws up.

Her health deteriorates since then, a fever traps her in stupefied dreams and chains her to bed. The sun cannot warm her ashen face, pale as white as the stone city. The healers are hopeless, and Aragorn tries to call her back as he did when she suffered from the Black Breath. She wakes by his soft beseech with a pool of blood. Their son is lost, and she cannot look at him. Aragorn is wise and smart; in remorse he prays for her forgiveness, and grieves that his heart still wishes for another.

Faramir suggests Éowyn going to Ithilien for recovery and Aragorn grimly agrees.

The King might have healing hands, but he cannot heal a broken heart. Despite the wonderful dwelling in the forest and the warm welcome from elves, Éowyn never recovers from her loss and she is pale as if all blood has been drained from her body along with the stillborn. Legolas is worried, so he invites her to give advice on horse breeding, and takes her to the garden to grow herbs and help the healers. He shows her the loveliness of the growing life and introduces her to many friendly elves. Still she never smiles, except in the company of horses, and she barely speaks. The elves would find her wandering in the forest at night like a lost soul, and they dare not disturb her for she is woeful and no light shines on her.

Months she stays there with no improvement and she falls ill during winter. It is small at first; light coughs and constant dizziness. She assures Legolas it is not important, but he has healers to tend her and sends for Aragorn, as he fears the time is near. Éowyn insists on her night strolls against the elf's advice, saying it soothes her to be in nature. One night she does not return as before, and with others he finds her collapses under a willow tree, breaths shallow and noisy. She weighs no more than a leaf, and hurriedly he carries her back to the colony. Legolas watches her and waits impatiently as healers come and go. Two days later Aragorn arrives with few guards as he leaves in haste.

The elf says to the King of Gondor in sadness. "The healers find no cure to her illness." And Aragorn can hardly hear him for he is shocked by Éowyn's paleness. She looks worse than before with bloodless lips and sunken cheeks, the once lithe body now thin like a young twig. He kneels by her bed and takes her hand carefully, for he feels no flesh but bones. "Éowyn, my queen." He calls her name in a shattering voice. "Return to this world for there are still joys and loves for you."

By summon of her lord she wakes, but her grey eyes are rueful, and it takes great strength for her to speak: "My lord, I have long wished for joy. First I sought in glorious death, second I sought in you, third I sought in our child, and thrice it is refused to me. I blame you not, for you cannot command your heart, but neither can I. At least grant me this: release me from this realm, then I shall join my forefathers and my son."

With tearful eyes he kisses her one last time and whispers, "Éowyn, daughter of Éomund and Théodwyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan, Queen of Gondor, might you rest peacefully with your loved ones, and we shall meet again in the afterlife."

At this Éowyn finally smiles, against his lips she mouths her thanks, and draws her last breath. Aragorn weeps when he feels no beat in her chest, and grips tightly her lifeless hand. At the age of twenty-seven Éowyn passes in Ithilien, people of Gondor and Rohan mourn the loss of their fair queen and lady. Tradition bids that she should be buried in Houses of the Dead, but Éomer wishes to bring her home as he perceives her unhappiness in Minas Tirith, and Aragorn thinks it proper, for she belongs in the endless plain rather than stones. At Aldburg her body rests, simbelmynë grow on her burial mound.

It remains an unamendable scar in the hearts of Rohirrim, and the relation between Gondor and Rohan grows distant. Aragorn never marries again; as he dies of old age the House of Isildur discontinues. Other songs speak of these events, but the most well-known is _Lament of Lady of Rohan_, starts with Éowyn's birth and ends with her death, and those who listen are grieved by her doom.


End file.
